of such religious symbols. The holiness of an un- fathomable deity is translated into the holiness of intelligible symbols. They are a source of strong stimulation for the arts as well, In fact, the mightiest benefits ever enjoyed by art were the result of its becoming a servant to religion. Yet, a careful distinction must be made here be: tween art and religion. A work of art carries its significance essentially within itself. Even though, as a rule, it owes its origin to external circum- stances and in consequence often awakens trains ‘of thought moving at a tangent, still it is basically self-sufficient and requires no specific interpreta- tion in order to be appreciated. ‘This fact becomes most clearly evident in music, most abstract of all arts, ‘On the other hand, a religious symbol always points beyond itself. Its significance is neyer ex- hausted by its own features, however much ven- ation it may enjoy because of its own age and the operation of a pious tradition. It is impor- tant (0 emphasize this because the development of ization makes the high esteem enjoyed by cer- tain religious symbols subject to certain inevit- able changes in the course of the centuries, and it